THREE CHARGED IN FORD HEIGHTS
ACID ATTACK

Friday, March 26, 2010 — Bond was set Friday for three people charged for a Wednesday night attack in Ford Heights that saw a caustic liquid substance thrown in the faces of three people – all of whom were related to the arrested suspects.

Kiana Richmond, 17, Janet Richmond, 18, and a 15-year-old juvenile, all of the 21700 block of Richmond Street in Sauk Village, are each charged with three counts of heinous battery and three counts of aggravated domestic battery. They are accused of plotting to throw a caustic liquid substance, which contained acid in it, at three female relatives with whom they were arguing.

Kiana Richmond was the person who threw the liquid and who suffered severe chemical burns herself. She was released from Loyola Medical Center’s burn unit on Thursday and taken into police custody. Janet Richmond and the juvenile are accused of working with Kiana Richmond to retrieve the substance and help her carry out the attack.

The incident happened early Wednesday evening outside a home in the 1300 block of Kennedy Street in Ford Heights. A verbal disagreement between the relatives escalated to a physical confrontation, before Kiana Richmond left the scene. A short time later, Kiana Richmond, Janet Richmond and the juvenile returned to the scene and continued the fight, producing socks they had filled with rocks as weapons. The offenders then produced multiple bottles of the liquid substance and splashed it on the three victims.

The three offenders then fled the scene and Kiana Richmond, who had acid burns to her arms, hands, back and eyes, changed out of the clothes that had chemical burns on them. She attempted to shower the acidic substance off her body, but failed and called an ambulance, which transported her to St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights, where the three victims – ages 18, 25 and 40 – were also being treated.

The 18-year-old victim suffered chemical burns over 25 percent of her body and was ultimately taken to Loyola, as well. The 25- and 40-year-olds were treated and released from St. James with minor burns.

In the Markham courthouse on Friday, bond was set at $20,000 each for Kiana Richmond and Janet Richmond. The juvenile offender is being processed at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.

The next court date for the adults charged is set for April 15 at the Markham courthouse, while the juvenile has no bond and will appear before a juvenile court judge at juvenile court on April 16.